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Stats show Missouri lags behind other states in seat belt use

On behalf of Hullverson Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, August 8, 2017.

Everyone knows that motor vehicle accidents happen for a variety of reasons, and crashes are often due to the negligence of one or more drivers. However, not wearing a seat belt is also linked with many fatalities and serious injuries each year.

The summer of 2017 has seen its share of catastrophic accidents in Missouri. In fact, the extra-long Independence Day holiday weekend saw fatalities more than triple over the number in 2016, and a number of the people who died were not wearing seat belts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Missouri deaths by auto that involved not using restraints well exceeded the national average in recent years. In fact, vehicular collisions are a main cause of death for those aged 30 and under in the United States. In Missouri, those aged 21 to 34 are at the greatest risk of car crash death. The rate of fatalities among that age group in Missouri is approximately 142 percent of that of the national average.

The CDC also indicates that Missouri drivers' use of the seat restraints lags notably behind the national average. Only 79 percent of drivers in Missouri use seat belts, while nationally 86 percent buckle up. The CDC estimates that if drivers and passengers wore seat belts and likewise appropriately strapped children into boosters and car seats, it could cut fatalities and serious casualties by 50 percent.

The road is only as safe as drivers and passengers make it, and by wearing seat belts, people can increase their chances of avoiding injuries.

For more on obtaining full and fair compensation after an auto accident in the St. Louis area, please see Hullverson Law Firm's car accident overview.

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